Russian Rights Officials to Meet with Snowden

UPDATED:

The WSJ is reporting that Snowden will stay in Russia until he can travel to Latin America. “He wants to stay here until he can fly to Latin America,” said Human Rights Watch’s Deputy Director Tanya Lokshina, who took part. She also said that Snowden had asked officials to relay his request to Russian authorities and ask the US to stop interfering with his attempts to fly to Latin America.

Big news is that #Snowden is applying for political asylum in Russia, despte Putin’s condition that he stop publishing. from @TanyaLokshina

She says that Snowden is saying he wants to remain in Russia and travel, and he wants international organisations to petition the US and EU not to interfere with that.

Referring to Putin’s condition that he can only stay if he stops harming the US, Snowden apparently has said: “No actions I take or plan are meant to harm the US … I want the US to succeed.”

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Two human rights officials plan to meet with Snowden today at the Sheremetyevo Airport. Snowden is thought to be stuck in the transit zone of the airport since fleeing Hong Kong.

Sergei Nikitin, head of Amnesty International’s Russia office, told The Associated Press he will go to the meeting, but declined to give details. Tatiana Lokshina, deputy head of the Russian office of Human Rights Watch, was quoted by the news agency Interfax as saying she also would go.

Lokshina posted on Facebook she received a text purporting to be from Snowden.

“I have been extremely fortunate to enjoy and accept many offers of support and asylum from brave countries around the world. These nations have my gratitude.

“This dangerous escalation represents a threat not just to the dignity of Latin America or my own personal security, but to the basic right shared by every living person to live free from persecution.”

Reports indicate that Russia is also sending Transparency International, an organization that tracks corrupt industries and governments along with the UN refugee agency.

Genri Reznik, the head of the Moscow Bar Association, told Interfax that he thinks Snowden called the meeting to request asylum from Russia. Snowden previously made a request from Russia but Russian President Vladimir Putin required Snowden stopped leaking information. Snowden subsequently withdrew his bid.